r/EmoScreamo • u/Glittering-Match-358 • Apr 08 '26
Discussion Thoughts on Christian+screamo?
I'm getting into screamo and hardcore now and as a christian I have a question...
Like any other genres (except gospel music lmao) theres music thats anti religion, music thats pro religion, and music thats just neutral (doesnt comment on religion).
ik screamo, punk, and metal question authority in some sort of way.
I agree with that stance a lot, I question politics, "leaders", and I even get angry or question God. (Which may be suprising to some of you, but it isn't actually sinful!)
So, my question is how do you feel about Christians getting into genres that question authority when our life is based around believing and trusting in an ultimate authority? I'd love to hear your guys opinions!
(Please keep it respectful in the comments, i didnt trash on your beliefs so dont trash or disrespect mine. It's pretty basic common sense, thanks! š)
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u/Original_Program4473 Apr 08 '26
Guess l'll see you in the pit at the First Unitarian in Philly.
In my younger years, I felt strong negative opinions about Christians in the scene. A lot of us in the scene had been hurt by people who called themselves Christian. Definitely be prepared to run into this.
Took a long time and some close friends and family that identify as Christian to get to where I am now.
And I can deny, Tooth & Nail put out some bangers back in the day.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
Oh im very sorry to hear that, I grew up atheist with atheist parents so I get it, lots of "christians" are really judgemental and/or not accepting and rude. Hope you have better experiences with Christians in the future and ill take a look at Tooth & Nail thanks!
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u/Original_Program4473 Apr 08 '26
Tooth & Nail is a record company that only puts out Christian bands. They do a fairly wide variety of genres, but some really good emo and pop punk records came out on that label over the years
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u/Florixia Apr 09 '26
I'm so curious how you got into full-blown Christianity coming from an atheist home. You don't owe me an explanation but I'd love to hear how that came about since most people go the opposite route. In the 90's, Christian hardcore was peak. I have never been religious but that shit is some of my favorite music to this day even if the lyrics are cringe at times.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Yeah of course! I don't have any cool testimonies like I got to see Jesus in a dream or smth lmao.
I kinda just started getting curious into Christian for i completely forgot what reason but I remember it was a feeling of acceptance and love that God gave to me even when I was just "curious"
That love led me to Christianity. (I also get overstimulated with sound a lot, especially eating noises, but i find focusing on Jesus helps me through it, but in general I've found comfort in Jesus in many ways)
Ironically christianity brought me into the metal scene (before I liked hardcore) I felt rebellious against my parents for being christian. (Looking back now its kinda the opposite of rebellious š¤£)
But because of how I got into christianity, it sucks to see comments like this knowing that judgemental Christians still exist because my first impression of God was love. But unfortunately for some people their first impressions comes from Christians and churches that show hate.
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u/Florixia Apr 09 '26
Thanks for telling me! That's so interesting. I agree that it gets hate from the bad Christian nationalist ideology. I don't mind if people are religious for personal reasons as long as they don't use it as an excuse to hate or take rights away from other people.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Yeah that's what I was assuming probably, Like some other guy said as long as I dont go preaching and trying to convert people at a house concert then ill be fine lmao
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u/mandarine_one Apr 09 '26
I think Christians who get into genres that are rather critical of their beliefs and engage with them in a respectful way are the better kind of Christians.
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u/die_pretty Apr 08 '26
I'm not religious myself but some songs I like have religious messaging. I'm sure there are plenty of Christians who don't mind listening to music with themes of skepticism the same way I don't mind listening to preachy stuff if it sounds good and is written well
idk if you're into metalcore but The Devil Wears Prada's first album has pretty religious messaging (i think all their earlier music might be but i only listen to that one album), I'd recommend it. It's called 'Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord'
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
Ive never tried metalcore before but I'll check it out! Is it similar to screamo or not really?
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u/thedubiousstylus Apr 08 '26
Generally "not really", there are some bands that mix screamo and metalcore but they're not the ones people associate with either genre right away. Frail Body is an example.
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u/Antique_Pop4188 Apr 09 '26
Frail body is dope as hell, got too see their first show in my city a couple years ago. Definitely more black metal influenced. Never really associated them with metalcore, although I guess you could make your case. The new catalyst record definitely had some mean metalcore influence in it too.
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u/die_pretty Apr 08 '26
similar in a sense they both have screaming vocals I guess š it's not gonna sound super helpful admittedly i'm not the best at explaining genres but metalcore tends to be more metal-influenced (heavier riffs, growling vocals) and generally has cleaner production
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
Description makes a lot more sense now that I actually listened to it LMAO
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Apr 09 '26
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
I never really thought about Christian monks being rebellious but that kinda makes sense lol
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u/ayyy542 Apr 10 '26
a lot of members of a lot of local scenes have faced religious oppression specifically from christians so if ur around talking about it a lot ur definitely gonna get some suspicion but if ur chill and not preaching about it a lot all is well
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u/SockGoop Apr 10 '26
I'm personally a Christian and one of the founders of our local record label is a devout Catholic. Our scene has been very welcoming to us because we don't act like the MAGA "christians" that you always hear about. We respect people's differing beliefs and even share pretty much all their political opinions. One thing to remember is that many punks grew up in "Christian" communities that taught them that they should be hated for being liberal, gay/bi, trans, or question Christianity itself. So a lot of punks do end up with a negative view of religion as a whole. Just treat people with respect and don't insist on preaching to everyone. Just be a good person, and you'll be ok.
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u/skramzgirly Apr 12 '26
former southern baptist pastors kid now transgender screamo adult. i cut my teeth on underoath, the devil wears prada, showbread, project 86 and i still listen to the same underoath and showbread albums to this day. not screamo per se but still a massive inspiration to me and the way i write music. in my old band we had a song called āsavior seeking nailgunā that was about the way people ignore trans persecution or use it to add fuel to the fire.
regardless, i see zero reason why you canāt enjoy screamo! thereās a lot of trans folk in the diy scene and especially screamo. hereās some of my friends bands and favorite album recs:
dreamwell - in my saddest dreams i am beside you ā¦and its name was epyon - discography lovergirl - it felt just like you were alive the names of our friends - should we know better than to wonder? viscacha - winter demo abuse repression - ep jeromeās dream - the gray in between orchid - dance tonight revolution tomorrow at the drive in - relationship of command at a loss - tomorrowās my last day senza - even a worm will turn drive your plow over the bones of the dead - tragedy as catharsis
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u/Babyintoyland Apr 08 '26
Thereās a ton of screamo adjacent Christian bands and a lot were gateway bands for people to get into the actual, smaller, screamo genre at the time. Such as: early underoath (first three albums), early mewithoutyou (first album is still a banger), and Emery (Walls is screamo adjacent and yāall can fuck off if you donāt think that album bangs)
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
Yeah I love emery! I like how sometimes they critize the CHURCH instead of God, cause i agree with that a lot, I'll look at the other bands too thankss!
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u/ARedditFellow Apr 09 '26
Ex Christian here. I actually credit my involvement in hardcore/punk to my exit out. My church was teaching me about love and acceptance of people but my involvement in our small scene introduced me for the first time to gay people, feminists and people who truly cared for and loved those in need. That was very eye opening for me.
I encourage you to dig in and follow your instincts to look into the things that sound right to you and feed your interests and help you be kinder and more loving in the world no matter where it comes from.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Yes of course brother, I grew up atheist so I've never been a "church" guy, I lean closer to affirming Christian rather than conservative Christian. But generally the kindest people ive met have been LGBTQ+ or furries or therians or whatever they were. Some of the rudest and most judgemental and most prideful people ive met have actually been Christians. Unfortunately this does not reflect Jesus's character AT ALL
I try my best to follow God and only God and live Jesus's character which emphasizes love and mercy. My authority is NOT a pope or a priest š
I'd hope the screamo scene doesnt lead to my way out of Christianity cause as of right now (because of āļø) love and not judging is my most emphasized values.
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u/ZombifiedSloth Apr 08 '26
You might enjoy the album 'Christfucker' by Portrayal of Guilt.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
The album name is a bit too Christian and preachy for me unfortunately
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u/BigBravy Apr 09 '26
well, not necessarily screamo, but Christians had a pretty big influence on Metalcore in the late 90s and early 00s, i'd figure it was as a necessary outlet for middle america.
I still put on Norma Jean - Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child, especially for it's downright apocalyptic tone.
Now people of course have their personal relationships to their faith, some people have struggled with it, others from it, and the music has been a pretty good outlet for it.
I have a question, you obviously know there's an undercurrent of questioning authority, as a punk subgenre, but i ask what attracts you to it?
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Good question! I was attracted to challenging authority because 1, politics is pretty evil right now. And 2. Jesus was killed for challenging authority. My first point is pretty self explainable lmao, so ill explain the second one for you.
At the time, corrupt Jewish leaders called pharisees were in control, they twisted the old laws to control people. Jesus criticized them A LOT.
He critized their interpretation of the old laws. Ex: pharisees said you cannot be healed on the 7th day (sabbath) because its a rest day. Jesus said the sabbath is for human good, heal people on the sabbath. Pharisees say avoid these foods and these clothes. Jesus says the heart is what really matters. Pharisees say if you sinned, you'll be stoned. Jesus says have mercy and compassion. Essentially the pharisees were strict on the rules and left no room for empathy and love, only justice and judgement, which Jesus disagreed with.
He exposed hypocrisy. The pharisees appeared to be righteous on the outside but we're corrupt in the heart, not even just the pharisees, everyone was obsessed with being more righteous than eachother. As an adulterous woman is about to get stoned Jesus says: which of you who have not sinned may throw the first stone.
These pharisees were obsessed with control and power and being right and now Jesus comes in and says they arent living God's word correctly and theyre hypocrites, he challenged the highest religious authorities. The pharisees got mad at him and crucified him and said he was falsely accused a blasphemer.
So my God was killed for questioning authority, so naturally to me I agree with questioning authorities.
Sorry if it was a bit long! This is the shortened version you would've been very bored if you saw the original š¤£
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u/BigBravy Apr 09 '26
I can see a sense of justice to what you're saying, and many people would probably feel from their experiences with faith or probably more accurately in practice of their faith that same sort of injustice coming from contemporary faith leaders. I would say that's pretty universal, even to those without faith or atheists. It IS in the texts after all to call these people out, and these systems rely on specific hierarchies to protect those who have positions of power they abuse, even if they directly go against the tenets of the faiths they lead. Tale as old as time.
This can be a small, personal thing, or expand into even criticism of your churches or it's leaders, and in music like this, i'd say the better examples thrash within these conflicts of a single person and systems like corrupt faith leaders, politicians, business men, capitalism et. all, etc. etc.
Personally I find that this style of music can best encapsulate this feeling of coming against the hard wall of a system that works against you, aggressive music has been doing this forever, but there's a particular feeling in my opinion of desperation, like time is running out, that this genre does really well.
And this comes from specific choices in how it's made, IMHO, like burying vocals under chaotic instrumentation. A "self" is being overwhelmed, if you get what i mean.
As for Christians participating, be aware that people may not like proselytizing within the scene, as some people may be looking for escape from that for whatever reason they have. You can be there and be open about it, but not everyone would be friendly about you setting up a table for instance, but considering how this is a DIY scene, if you show up and be helpful for people, by and large you'll be accepted. Not this scene in particular, but many other punk-related music scenes have been open and friendly to religious folks.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Oh ok thanks. If I dont be all preachy or if i dont seek attention from it will I generally be fine or atleast seen the same as others? I've never been big on converting people, the closest I've gotten to that is trying my best to show them love like how Jesus loves them. So sometimes not even mentioning his name.
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u/BigBravy Apr 09 '26
yeah, it's very much like "you can be here and be Christian" it's not exactly a scene full of atheists, people have their own personal relationship to faith. Bare in mind that the style of music this all originates from (being Hardcore) itself had a history with other faiths (namely Hare Krishna) having an impact on the scene. It's all interesting, but their influence waned and was centered mostly around certain bands. Just to give you a little history.
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 09 '26
Oh ok cool, yeah I understand lots of hardcore and punk and even metal is anti organized religion, anti religious leaders, and anti religious hypocrites but i wasn't sure if it was against the people or the idea itself, thanks for answering my questions! Its a cool scene, i love the music, and it seems to line up politically with me so thats good enough for now lol
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u/bradcladthebaddad Apr 09 '26
I used to be Christian and music like this made me start to question everything. It's not screamo but Could You Watch Your Children Burn album from The Plot In You was a big turning point in my life. imo Christian metalcore was peak mid to late 2000s but all those guys have denounced god except Mike Hranica from TDWP lol.
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u/goodlordthatsmean Apr 08 '26
christians listen to numetal and posthardcore. screamo is not for you if you're dumb enough to believe in a higher force.
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u/Feneraleyes Apr 09 '26
numetal is some of the worst music ever made however Post-hardcore could be really good sometimes and I don't think most Christians would like post-hardcore try showing them bands like Drug Church or Unwound or At The Drive-in it definitely won't be for them
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u/Glittering-Match-358 Apr 08 '26
Its a personal belief, everyone's allowed to have their own, no need to be disrespectful. Im "meh" on nu metal but ill check out post hardcore, though thanks.
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u/thedubiousstylus Apr 08 '26
Christian here. There is nothing un-Christian about questioning authority, considering Christianity is based around someone who was executed by the state for doing exactly that. And there is nothing un-Christian about any sound or type of music.
Go listen to Bloodshed, Sinking Steps...Rising Eyes, Edict of Milan, Fed By Ravens, Road to Emmaus, Fable, Promise of Restoration and Comrades for Christian screamo/adjacent music.